This recipe is perfect for new bakers or for anyone who wants to make something easier than real pie. It’s a bit like free form pie, it doesn’t need to be perfect, you don’t need to trim anything or make artsy weaving, it should look rustic! And it’s ok if juice flows out during baking, it helps with the rustic look :-)

Crostata is just as delicious as pie or fruit tart but it’s so much easier to make! Much less stress and impossible to screw up.

My filling is a mixture of peaches and berries. A perfect summer combination in my opinion!

Peaches because they were on sale and looked really delicious. It’s hard to find tasty peaches here because they’re either too ripe or too green. And most of the time I miss the day when they are ripe and on the next day they’re moldy :-( But these were perfect!

Last week in one of the blogger groups where I’m a member there was a discussion about how to store fruits and vegetables the right way. I have to admit I often don’t have a clue what goes where. Ok, I know tomatoes shouldn’t go into the fridge and it’s better to store them not together with other fruits or vegetables because they produce ethylene gas which promotes ripening, but what about peaches for example?

So I did a little research and found out that you should store unripe peaches at room temperature until ripe and once ripe they should be placed in a plastic bag and refrigerated. I tried exactly that and my peaches held up so much better!

The berries didn’t need as much care. I just used frozen ones. In my opinion using frozen berries makes your life much easier. Especially at times like this when the locally grown berries aren’t quite in season yet and the berries you can buy at the store are really expensive and probably moldy :-(

Because of that, I have always frozen berries in my freezer!

For my peach & berry crostata, I used mixed berries but you could use any berries you like. And if you’re one of the lucky persons that can get her hands on fresh berries perhaps even from your own garden (I envy you big time!!!) definitely use these.

Making a crostata is a little bit like making pizza but I have to say the crust of this crostata is perhaps even better than pizza crust. You roll out the dough, mount the peach-berry mixture in the center (not too high – think more of assembling a pizza then filling a pie) and then fold the edges over the mixture. So the crust is filled with delicious peaches and berries … it’s really tasty!

To make it even better I brushed the crust with heavy cream before baking and sprinkled sugar over it. That makes it shiny and sparkly!

And don’t forget the streusels … I think I don’t have to explain why streusels are yummy?! :-)

And now I think it’s time to make this delicious crostata and serve it with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream!

Servings: 8

Crostata with Peaches & Berries

Crostata with Peaches & Berries - so easy to make! Also known as galette, rustic pie or rustic tart. Served with a big dollop of vanilla ice cream, this is my go-to summer dessert!

For the filling

To brush

2tbspheavy cream, 30ml

2tbspcoarse brown sugar, 25g

Instructions

For the crust: In a food processor, pulse flour with sugar and 1/8 teaspoon of salt until blended. Cut the butter into 1/2-inch pieces, add it to the flour and pulse until it's the size of peas. Add the ice water to the flour mixture and pulse until the dough is evenly moistened. Lightly flour your work surface, transfer the dough to it and pat it into a disk. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.

In the meantime make the streusels: In a food processor, pulse 1/3 cup flour with 4 tsp brown sugar until blended. Cut the butter into 1/2-inch pieces, add it to the flour and pulse until it's the size of peas. Set aside.

For the filling: Halve the peaches, pit them and slice them 1/2-inch thick. In a bowl, toss them with the frozen berries, the brown sugar, the vanilla extract, a pinch of cinnamon, a pinch of salt, and 2 tbsp all-purpose flour.

On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough to a 12-inch (30cm) round. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and transfer the rolled out dough to it. Mound the berry-peach mixture in the center of the dough but leave a 2-inch (5cm) border all around. Fold the edge of the dough up and over the berry-peach mixture. Refrigerate the crostata until chilled, about 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 425F (218C).

Brush the rim of the crostata with cream and sprinkle with coarse brown sugar. Bake for about 50 minutes until the crust is golden. Let cool for a few minutes before serving.

Notes

1. Don't pile the filling too high or the crostata will get mushy. Try to aim for a flat and compact filling. 2. You can use fresh or frozen berries. If you use frozen berries don't thaw them.3. Make sure the butter and ice water are really cold. Cold ingredients and chilling the dough helps the crust keep its shape.

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